Description ADULT MALE In breeding plumage, has orange-chestnut body plumage, white cheeks, black cap and nape, and bright blue bill. Note also the small white vent. Outside breeding season, body plumage is gray-brown and bill is more dull grayish. ADULT FEMALE Gray-brown plumage, with paler cheeks that are broken by dark line from base of bill; bill is dull blue-gray, similar to that seen in winter male.

Dimensions Length: 14-16" (36-41 cm)

Habitat Local breeding species in east, favoring fresh__water marshes and well-vegetated lakes; nests among emergent vegetation. In winter, found on sheltered estuaries and bays on Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and ice-free lakes and ponds inland.

Discussion Small diving duck that feeds on aquatic invertebrates and submerged roots and seeds. Both sexes regularly cock their spiky-looking tails. Breeding male is unmistakable and engages in "bubbling" chest-beating courtship displays in spring. In winter, all birds could perhaps be confused with a small grebe, but Ruddy Duck's proportionately large bill easily dispels confusion.